Tricks to Using a Garlic Press Properly!

A garlic
press is a helpful kitchen gadget for preparing garlic in the shortest amount
of time. It forces peeled garlic cloves through a bunch of tiny little metal
holes with a piston. In Australia and New Zealand it is called a garlic
crusher. It much faster and more convenient than mincing garlic with a knife.
You can press multiple
peeled garlic cloves fast and be ready to cook in minutes.
Mincing however is much more time consuming and difficult. For effective use of
a garlic press it is important to make sure you use it the right way.

Pressed
garlic is much easier to use and prepare when cooking. Pressed garlic is also
said to unlock all of the nutrients and
health benefits of garlic. It is
thought to be stronger and more flavorful than mincing as well. Garlic crushed by a press is generally believed to have a more robust flavor than minced
garlic. More of garlic's strong flavor compounds are liberated and mixed through the pressing process. Some people prefer the flavor of pressed garlic.Raw-foods chef Renée Underkoffler says "a good garlic press makes
dealing with garlic a pleasure." Pressed garlic has a lighter, more
delicate flavor than minced garlic because it excludes the bitter center
stem."The magazine
Cook's Illustrated says "a good garlic press can break down cloves more
finely and evenly than an average cook using a knife, which means better
distribution of garlic flavor throughout any given dish."

Pressing garlic

Remove the
husky dry cover from the outer part of the garlic cloves. Select garlic that
does not have any green shoots, and if it has them, remove them. The size of
your garlic will determine the number of garlic cloves you can press at the
same time. If it is a small press, then only put one garlic clove in the press
at a time. Place the press over a clean container for the garlic to fall into. Press
and hold the handles closely until the garlic comes out in a paste.

Reasons for
pressing garlic

Garlic is delicious
and super healthy and pressing it unlocks both the flavor and nutrition. When
garlic is pressed, it has a stronger flavor because all the particles are exposed
and mixed together. The other reason why you may choose to press garlic is its ease of storage. When you store the
pressed garlic in an air tight container then
freeze it, it will last for a
very long time. This helps in saving time during meal preparation, as you may
press more garlic when you have free time. Pressing garlic is easier than
chopping or crushing it which saves time.

Washing a
garlic press

Using a
garlic press is easy and so is washing it. First you need to ensure that there is
no garlic paste remaining on the holes of the press. When you
crush garlic cloves using a garlic press, some of the particles will likely remain in the
holes of the press. Using a short item, a toothpick perhaps, remove the food
particles until the press is clean. A thorough wash after using is important
and will give your press a longer life.

Rinse the
press thoroughly using clean water and ensure the garlic is washed away and the
sweet delicious aroma is gone.

How to
select a press to purchase

Getting the
best garlic press will ensure that you use it for a long time and get the value
for your money. The first thing is to verify is that the press is made of pure
stainless steel, or aluminum. Stainless steel is really preferable because it
helps neutralize the garlic smell.

Make sure to
feels strong and well manufactured to ensure your ability to press large garlic
cloves. Verify that the press handles fit well in your hands and it is easy and
comfortable to close. The key is making sure it well constructed and feels good
when you use it.